Conventionally, bearing housings generally have been divided into two halves, which are interconnected upon mounting of the bearing on the shaft. This causes, i.e., the positioning of seals and lubricant to take place in situ at the mounting, which from many aspects, is not desirable. For this reason complete bearing units have been developed, wherein the bearing, clamping sleeve, seals and lubricant can be introduced in the bearing housing at the supplier's shop. The complete bearing unit then can be slid onto the intended shaft and the bearing is clamped to the shaft by tightening the clamping sleeve. Consequently, this construction requires use of a clamping sleeve. The clamping of the clamping sleeve acts, in a known manner, by wedge action between one or more taper surfaces at the clamping sleeve and the corresponding surfaces of the bearing. The wedge effect is created by the bearing and the clamping sleeve being displaced in axial direction relative to each other.
In Swedish Patent Application 8600310-0, an embodiment of such a solution is shown. The axial movement between the clamping sleeve and the bearing in that application is created by flanges equipped with axially extending screws, which act against the inner race ring of the bearing or against an intermediate washer. A mounting flange then is used at the small end of the tapering clamping sleeve, and a dismounting flange is used at the larger end thereof. In the embodiment of the prior application, it is possible to use an undivided bearing housing.
When the bearing unit is mounted to the shaft, screws are tightened which are parallel to the shaft and positioned at a somewhat larger diameter than the outer diameter thereof. The reverse procedure occurs at release of the bearing unit from the shaft. This means that axial space is required on both sides of the bearing unit for manipulating tools for mounting and dismounting. In many cases this can mean problems, and particularly on one side of the bearing unit. Several members are often positioned on the shaft between a first and a second bearing housing, whereas on the other hand a smaller number of components generally are positioned on the other side of the bearing housing toward the free side of the shaft end. At the initial mounting these components are not positioned as it must be possible to mount the bearing unit. There are however cases when components are hampering access also on this side. An example is when re-tightening of the mounting screws may be necessary.
Described in GB,A,2 163 523 is a locking sleeve having an extended portion, which on a shaft is positioned against the side face of a bearing race ring. The locking sleeve is provided with grub screws, which can be screwed in at an angle towards the shaft on which the bearing shall be fitted, or perpendicularly to the shaft when the screws are provided with tapering tips, and which screws with their ends can be screwed into a circumferential, angularly machined groove in the shaft. The tightening of the screws give an axial force displacing the bearing axially against a shoulder on the shaft, whereas at the same time the locking sleeve is locked to the shaft by the screws entering into the groove. This locking arrangement gives no loosening forces for releasing a wedge joint or a clamping sleeve, it requires a substantial space at least on one side of the bearing at the mounting and furthermore the deep groove machined in the shaft means a serious weakening of the shaft.
A purpose of the invention is to reduce the above-mentioned problems substantially by providing a device wherein dismounting and also mounting of a bearing unit can be accomplished without space being available at each side of the bearing unit.